Talk of relegation is not quite banned at Watford, even if Javi Gracia admits the word is not one he likes to hear.

Unfortunately for the Spaniard, the threat of the bottom three still lingers at Vicarage Road and the the next two games will go a long way to deciding just how much it needs to be discussed for the remainder of the season.

When Gracia was appointed, just over a month ago, the Hornets were in freefall, speeding towards the drop-zone determined not to let anything get in their way. He has steadied the ship, guided them to four points in his first three Premier League games and brought a sense of calm to the club, but he is not a miracle worker and the Hornets are far from comfortable yet.

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It is the time of year where fans and the media begin to work out how many points will be needed to stay up, how many times your side needs to win if they are to ensure survival. An analysis from Gracenote Sports said 38 points would keep you safe, whilst Watford have just a six per cent chance of going down.

Should that be correct, Watford may only need two more wins and a couple of draws to make sure it's Manchester United coming to Vicarage Road next season and not Millwall.

Gracia, though, is refusing to set a target for his players, at least publicly, and is taking it game-by-game, rather than grouping fixtures together and saying 'we need five points from the next four games', or something similar.

The Spaniard will not set a target for Watford to reach though (Getty Images)

"I do not like to speak about relegation. I do not like this word," Gracia said, with a wry smile on his face.

"I only focus on the next match because to speak about other things is not good for the players. The next match is very important for us and I think with the backing of our support I think we can achieve our objectives.

"I do not know how many points we need. I only know one thing. I need the next three points. The points against Everton we need them and this is the best way to play with 11 matches left."